Actions from the plan include helping businesses and organisations to make savings in energy, water and minerals.

It also establishes Resource Efficiency Pledges to build momentum and help Scottish companies take credit for their actions.

The plan will also promote innovation and the right skills to design waste out of products and services.

Speaking at the Scottish Resources Conference, he also announced a new action plan aiming to cut waste in Scotland by 7 per cent by 2017 and 15 per cent by 2025 to improve competitiveness.

Richard Lochhead said: “If everyone in the world used the same amount of resources as an average European, we would need three planets to sustain us.

“The Scottish Government is committed to creating a more productive and circular economy and reduce our dependency on raw materials. We are embarking on the next steps towards being a zero waste nation.

“Safeguarding Scotland’s Resources is an important step, but its success will depend on how businesses and individuals respond to the challenges we face and the opportunities we want to create.

“In launching this new programme, we want to galvanise people behind our zero waste vision and to work with us to make it a reality.”

He also announced a £168,000 funding grant to Panel2Panel, which manufactures construction fittings for schools and hospitals from plastic from fridges and yoghurt pots.

Panel2Panel chief executive Andrew Whitford said: “Panel2Panel offers an exciting new opportunity to provide a new, innovative and practical product – ePanel – which is formed solely from the diversion of plastic and other waste from landfill.

“The grant-funding from the Zero Waste Scotland programme allowed us to secure the additional private investment funding required in order to start fulfilling our manufacturing contracts.”